Training and Mentorship

RDS encourages residents, fellows and young faculty to specialize and pursue research opportunities in rheumatologic skin diseases. We encourage RDS members and specialists to network and mentor new practitioners in this dermatologic subspecialty.

Get Involved

Rheumatologic skin disease is common, debilitating, and frustrating for patients and their healthcare providers. Although many physicians readily recognize systemic autoimmune diseases, rheumatologic skin disease often goes unrecognized, is misdiagnosed, is not aggressively treated, or is resistant to therapy. Many physicians do not feel comfortable with the toxicity of treatment necessary to adequately control patients’ diseases. Training physicians skilled in the diagnosis and management of these diseases is critical to patient care and advancing the field.

Mentorship Opportunities

Many of our physicians serve as mentors to trainees and young graduates seeking to develop expertise in rheumatologic skin disease. We provide a list of members to contact for those interested in rheumatologic skin disease career development.

RDS Mentors

Carolyn Bangert, MD, Associated Dermatologists, PC

Benjamin Chong, MD, University of Texas Southwestern

Lori Chung, MD, Stanford University

Jennie Clarke, MD, Penn State Hershey Medical Center

Kari Connolly, MD, University of California, San Francisco

Melissa Costner, MD, North Dallas Dermatology Associates

Jan Dutz, MD, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

Alisa Femia, MD, New York University

Nicole Fett, MD, University of Oregon Health Sciences Center

Dave Fiorentino, MD, Stanford University

Ronnie Klein, MD, Yale School of Medicine

Mark Jackson, MD, University of Louisville

Joseph Merola, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University

Misha Rosenbach, MD, University of Pennsylvania

Richard Sontheimer, MD, University of Utah

Victoria Werth, MD, University of Pennsylvania

Residency Training Programs

COMBINED INTERNAL MEDICINE/DERMATOLOGY RESIDENCY TRAINING PROGRAMS:
Medical students interested in rheumatologic skin disease may be interested in becoming proficient in internal medicine as well as dermatology. Combined Internal Medicine/Dermatology residency training programs offer the opportunity to be trained and board certified in both fields.

Fellowship Training Programs

Dermatology-Rheumatology Fellowship, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Criteria: board-eligible in Dermatology, Rheumatology, or Medicine, or must have completed at least a PGY-1 year in Medicine at the time of initiating the fellowship.. Contact: Ruth Ann Vleugels, M.D. (rvleugels@partners.org), Director, Dermatology-Rheumatology Fellowship Program.

Clinical and Translational Research Fellowship, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dept of Dermatology, Dallas, Texas. Criteria: medical student (MS III or greater at inception of position) or MD for the opportunity to perform clinical and translational research at the Department of Dermatology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Contact:Jo Urquhart, jo.urquhart@utsouthwestern.edu.

RDS is providing information and services on this website as a benefit and service to members and guests in furtherance of its nonprofit and tax-exempt status. The information posted by RDS or any third party should not be considered medical advice, and it is not intended to replace consultation with a qualified dermatology professional. Nothing in this website constitutes the establishment of a physician-patient relationship with RDS or any of the physicians on its leadership team, committees or any of its members. Please consult an appropriate health care provider with any medical issues you may have. RDS does not answer specific medical questions or refer people to a particular dermatology professional.
RDS provides various resources on the website, including links to potentially useful external resources and a list of members with an interest in rheumatic skin disease. This information serves only as a reference tool for patients and healthcare providers. RDS gives no warranties regarding the medical information supplied on the website. RDS is not compensated for the mention of any medical information or product on this website and does not endorse, warrant, or guarantee the effectiveness of the information or any such product. You should not initiate the use of any treatment or product mentioned on this website or on any links to external resources without first consulting a physician or healthcare provider. RDS is not responsible for any treatment decisions made by any health care provider, even those listed on the RDS website or links to external resources. All users of this website retain full responsibility for the use of the resources on this website, and RDS is not responsible for the use or misuse of any materials on this website.